1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to timing aids for swimmers and, more specifically, to lap timing devices for swimmers.
2. General Background of the Invention
Swimming is a healthful form of exercise which enjoys popularity as a competitive sport. Various systems have been developed to aid in timing competitive swimmers. One type of system is an automatic judging system for swimming competitions which comprises automatic timers connected to pressure-sensitive touch pad switches disposed in a swimming pool. These systems, which are designed to eliminate human error from the judging process of swim races, usually also comprise a pressure-sensitive switch on a starting block, which switch serves to determine whether any competitor "jumps the gun".
U.S. Pat. No. 3,544,989 discloses such a system, in which a touch pad is disposed near each lane of a pool, and a pressure-sensitive switch is disposed on each starting block. Sound waves from a gun short start individual clocks for each competitor. As a competitor nears the end of his last lap of the race, his touch pad is lowered into the water in his lane. When he touches the pad, his relative position in the race and his total time for the race are recorded and displayed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,916,214 discloses a similar system, basically differing from that of U.S. Pat. No. 3,544,989 in that the touch pads remain in the water throughout the race. A competitive swimmer touches the pad in his lane once per lap. The touch pad is connected to a counter and a timer. The counter counts the number of laps the swimmer has completed and, when the preset number of laps has been completed, the timer stops.
While the type of system disclosed in these two patents may be satisfactory in some respects, there are some inherent disadvantages. The touch pads must be constructed such that they are insensitive to waves and splashes, but sensitive enough that a swimmer need not exert undue pressure in order to activate the switch. Also, the swimmer must take care to touch the switch--if he touches the wall adjacent a switch, this touch pad switch will not record the touch. Furthermore, wires must be run from the touch pad switch to a timing and recording device. Moreover, this type of system would not be very beneficial during a training session, as it only records and displays a swimmer's total time for a preset number of laps, and gives no information about individual laps.